lessons // 13 tips for blog conferences.

1. going alone is encouraged. you’ll be forced to step out of your comfort zone + you’ll realize just how rewarding that is.
2. find the fine line between living in the moment + hiding behind your camera lens. be present, but document as you see fit. returning home wishing you had snapped more photos is a rotten feeling.
3. collect business cards like candy. it’s impossible to remember everyone you had the pleasure of meeting, plus they serve as a pretty souvenir.
4. stay hydrated. coffee, champagne, & water are all viable options.
5. be a sponge. how often do you have the opportunity to learn from, be inspired by, and socialize with your peers fellow bloggers? pick everyone’s brain. you’ll be amazed what you can learn.
6. introduce yourself by your name + blog title. [c/o cedar and rush‘s presentation]. be your own biggest advocate.
7. take entirely too many notes.
8. create a plan of action, from said notes. and most importantly, follow through.
9. have a brainstorming session. you’re riding on a wave of motivation. take full advantage & write down every idea that your head can possibly produce.
10. make sure everyone you had the pleasure of meeting knows it was a true pleasure.
11. blogging is a community. support each other.
12. wear flats. the comfiest of heels are no match for an entire day, regardless of the stand-up to sit down ratio.
13. be genuine. make your blog a true reflection of yourself.

and last but not least, attend as many as you possibly can. they are truly beneficial.

[in my opinion, these tips can be slightly modified to fit any professional development event].

11 thoughts on “lessons // 13 tips for blog conferences.”

After seeing your pics and reading your tips, I soooo wish I had gone to this! It was a little far for me (Boston), but I think it would have been worth the trip and a lot of fun. Next year – bucket list!

I totally battle with living in the moment and not taking enough pictures or visa versa! Arrrgh….I feel like I can never win. I unfortunately but fortunately all at the same time, forgot my camera to GBS. So much fun this weekend. Now that we are back, we should get together one on one in Chicago :)